# LabFig vs Shutterstock AI Image Generator

LabFig records 4,976 monthly visits with +44.9% month-over-month growth and Freemium pricing. Shutterstock AI Image Generator records 47,855,171 monthly visits with +3.2% growth and Paid pricing.

| Metric | [LabFig](https://openaitools.app/tool/labfig) | [Shutterstock AI Image Generator](https://openaitools.app/tool/shutterstock-com) |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Website URL | https://labfig.com | https://www.shutterstock.com/ai-image-generator |
| Categories | AI Image Generator, Image to Image, Text to Image | AI Image Generator, AI Design Generator, AI Photo Editor |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Paid |
| Monthly Visits | 4,976 | 47,855,171 |
| MoM Growth Rate | +44.9% | +3.2% |
| Primary Market | United States | United States |
| Direct Visits | 1,627 | 12,470,325 |
| Review Score | 4.2 | 4.3 |
| Saved Count | 0 | 45 |
| Supported Platforms | Website | Website |

## LabFig

LabFig targets a very specific pain point in academic work: producing clean, consistent scientific figures without a design background. Instead of learning vector software or paying a designer, researchers describe a figure in words, drop in a paper, upload a sketch, or take a photo of a whiteboard, and the tool returns a structured draft with panels, labels, and arrows laid out. It supports journal-oriented aesthetics, with styles modelled on Nature, Cell, or IEEE conventions so figures in the same manuscript look like a set.

What sets LabFig apart from generic image generators is the editing layer. Figures are vector-first: text, arrows, shapes, and colours remain editable after generation, and individual regions can be replaced or regenerated with a short prompt through a feature called Vector Canvas. Exports include SVG and PDF alongside PNG, which matters when a submission template expects resizable artwork. There is also a Figure Enhancer path for cleaning up an existing figure's colour and line weights.

The workbench runs in seven modes covering text, image, PDF, sketch, reference, photo, and enhancer inputs, with credits consumed per generation. Pricing is credit-based across Starter, Standard, and Premium tiers, and academic discounts are available for verified students and educators. LabFig is explicit that AI-generated drafts should be reviewed by a scientist before publication, which is a sensible framing for a tool aimed at manuscript work.

**Pricing & Plans:** Credit-based subscription plans: a Starter tier aimed at occasional figure work, a Standard tier for active PhD students and postdocs, and a Premium tier for high-throughput labs. Annual billing reduces the monthly rate, and verified students and educators receive a discount. Monthly list prices run roughly from about $29.9 to about $149.9 before discounts.

- **Six-plus input modes:** Generate from text descriptions, hand sketches, reference figures, research PDFs, or lab photos.
- **Vector Canvas editing:** Labels, arrows, shapes, and colours stay editable, and single regions can be regenerated with a prompt.
- **Journal-grade styles:** Match the visual conventions of Nature, Cell, or IEEE with one-click styles, or keep a consistent set across a paper.
- **Resizable vector export:** Export SVG and PDF for submissions plus 300 dpi PNG, so figures drop into templates without rework.
- **Figure Enhancer:** Improve the colour balance and line weights of a figure you already have instead of starting over.

**Strengths:** Works from the inputs researchers actually have, from PDFs and sketches to whiteboard photos; Figures stay vector-editable after generation, unlike one-shot image generators; Journal-oriented styles help keep every figure in a manuscript visually consistent; Academic discount available for verified students and educators

[Profile (Markdown)](https://openaitools.app/tool/labfig.md)

## Shutterstock AI Image Generator

Unlike standalone consumer text-to-image generators where copyright hygiene and commercial usage rights remain legally murky, the Shutterstock AI Image Generator is built specifically for businesses, marketers, and agencies that require clear licensing paperwork. Rather than relying solely on a single proprietary model, Shutterstock evolved its generator into a unified multi-model workspace: users can manually pick from frontier image engines—including OpenAI's GPT Image 2, Google's Imagen 4 Ultra and Gemini 3.1 Flash, and Runway Gen-4—or let Shutterstock's built-in AI Model Recommender select the optimal engine for a given prompt.

Every image downloaded from the generator ships with a Shutterstock Standard License and up to $10,000 in legal indemnification coverage, while Enterprise and Business customers can request on-demand human compliance review for full contractual indemnification and private team generations. Shutterstock also addresses ethical sourcing head-on through its Contributor Fund, which pays royalties to stock artists whose licensed works were used in training datasets, while keeping contributor-uploaded AI art out of its traditional 625-million-asset library. Note that by default on individual plans, AI images generated on the platform are added to Shutterstock's public catalog for other customers to license unless your organization is on a Business/Teams plan with private generations enabled.

In 2026—following the July 7, 2026 termination of the proposed Getty Images merger—Shutterstock sharpened its hybrid Stock + GenAI subscription lineup and launched a Claude connector (August 2026) alongside its existing ChatGPT app. Creators who only need AI visuals can subscribe to the standalone GenAI plan at $15/month billed annually ($180/year) or $29/month month-to-month for 100 monthly generation credits. For teams blending authentic photography with synthetic graphics, Unlimited Images ($29/month billed yearly) bundles unlimited downloads from 83M+ curated stock photos with 50 AI credits/month, while Unlimited Plus ($69/month billed yearly) unlocks 100M+ stock images, videos, music, and SFX alongside 100 monthly AI credits.

**Pricing & Plans:** New users get 2 free trial generations, after which the standalone GenAI subscription costs $15/month billed annually ($180/year) or $29/month with no contract for 100 AI generation credits per month. AI generation credits are also bundled into stock subscriptions, including Unlimited Images ($29/mo billed yearly with 50 AI credits/mo) and Unlimited Plus ($69/mo billed yearly with 100 AI credits/mo), alongside custom Teams and Business indemnification plans.

- **Multi-Model Selector & AI Model Recommender:** Provides single-dashboard access to leading third-party visual models—including OpenAI GPT Image 2, Google Imagen 4 Ultra, Gemini 3.1 Flash, and Runway Gen-4—with an automated recommender that matches prompts to the best engine.
- **Standard Commercial License & $10,000 Indemnification:** Attaches a commercial Shutterstock Standard License and $10,000 legal indemnification to every downloaded AI image, with full human-reviewed indemnification available on Enterprise and Business tiers.
- **AI Image Editor & Generative Outpainting:** Includes browser-based inpainting, magic object erasure, background removal, image reference guidance, and aspect-ratio canvas expansion that routes royalties directly to the original contributor when editing stock photos.
- **Unified 625M+ Stock & GenAI Search with Claude/ChatGPT Apps:** Displays stock photos, vectors, 3D assets, and AI generation options in one workflow, complemented by official ChatGPT and Claude connectors for conversational asset discovery.
- **Ethical Contributor Fund Compensation:** Compensates hundreds of thousands of human photographers and illustrators via Shutterstock's AI Contributor Fund while enforcing strict DE&I and brand-safety guardrails.

**Strengths:** Every downloaded AI image includes a clear commercial Standard License backed by $10,000 legal indemnification; Aggregates top frontier models (GPT Image 2, Imagen 4 Ultra, Gemini 3.1 Flash, Runway Gen-4) under one $15/mo annual plan; Seamlessly combines 625M+ authentic stock assets with generative AI tools and ChatGPT/Claude assistant connectors; Ethically compensates human artists through the Contributor Fund and pays direct royalties on AI-edited stock photos

**Limitations:** Images generated on individual plans are added to Shutterstock's public library and are not exclusive unless on a Business/Teams plan; Unused monthly generation credits (50 or 100/month) expire at the end of each monthly billing cycle; Experimental AI Video Generator outputs do not yet carry commercial licensing coverage, limiting them to previsualization

[Profile (Markdown)](https://openaitools.app/tool/shutterstock-com.md)

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How do LabFig and Shutterstock AI Image Generator compare in monthly traffic?

LabFig has 4,976 monthly visits, while Shutterstock AI Image Generator has 47,855,171. Traffic estimates describe audience size, not product quality.

### How do their growth rates compare?

LabFig has a month-over-month growth rate of +44.9%; Shutterstock AI Image Generator has +3.2%.

### How does pricing compare?

LabFig: Freemium. Credit-based subscription plans: a Starter tier aimed at occasional figure work, a Standard tier for active PhD students and postdocs, and a Premium tier for high-throughput labs. Annual billing reduces the monthly rate, and verified students and educators receive a discount. Monthly list prices run roughly from about $29.9 to about $149.9 before discounts. Shutterstock AI Image Generator: Paid. New users get 2 free trial generations, after which the standalone GenAI subscription costs $15/month billed annually ($180/year) or $29/month with no contract for 100 AI generation credits per month. AI generation credits are also bundled into stock subscriptions, including Unlimited Images ($29/mo billed yearly with 50 AI credits/mo) and Unlimited Plus ($69/mo billed yearly with 100 AI credits/mo), alongside custom Teams and Business indemnification plans.

## Alternatives

| # | Tool Name | Monthly Visits | MoM Growth Rate | Pricing Model | Summary | Profile (Markdown) |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 1 | [Adobe Firefly](https://openaitools.app/tool/adobe) | 396,998,213 | -8.6% | Freemium | Commercially safe generative AI studio with built-in copyright indemnification and native stock asset ecosystem integration. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/adobe.md) |
| 2 | [Photoroom](https://openaitools.app/tool/photoroom) | 18,213,872 | -2.8% | Freemium, Free Trial, Contact for Pricing | E-commerce focused visual editor specializing in product photography background removal and generative scenes. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/photoroom.md) |
| 3 | [Picsart](https://openaitools.app/tool/picsart) | 16,511,620 | +3.8% | Freemium, Free Trial | All-in-one creative studio combining AI generation with robust photo editing and design tools. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/picsart.md) |
| 4 | [Midjourney](https://openaitools.app/tool/midjourney) | 8,609,446 | -0.9% | Freemium | Industry-leading image generator producing higher-fidelity visuals, though lacking native stock asset libraries and commercial indemnification. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/midjourney.md) |
| 5 | [123RF AI Search Engine](https://openaitools.app/tool/123rf-ai-search-engine) | 6,259,718 | +3.7% | Free Trial, Paid, Contact for Pricing | Stock photo platform combining traditional licensed media search with native AI image generation capabilities. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/123rf-ai-search-engine.md) |
| 6 | [Depositphotos AI Image Generator](https://openaitools.app/tool/depositphotos-ai-image-generator) | 5,804,983 | -2.8% | Freemium | Stock media platform offering text-to-image generation backed by commercial licensing support. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/depositphotos-ai-image-generator.md) |
| 7 | [Imagine Ai Art Generator](https://openaitools.app/tool/imagine-ai-art-generator) | 2,459,527 | +15.6% | Free | Generate images, video and audio at scale with 50+ AI models | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/imagine-ai-art-generator.md) |
| 8 | [Playground AI](https://openaitools.app/tool/playground-ai) | 572,912 | +0.4% | Freemium, Free | Browser-based AI design studio geared toward social graphics, marketing visuals, and image editing. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/playground-ai.md) |
| 9 | [Rendair AI](https://openaitools.app/tool/rendair-ai-platform) | 496,201 | +5.7% | Contact for Pricing | The AI workspace that turns architectural sketches and 3D models into client-ready visuals | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/rendair-ai-platform.md) |
| 10 | [Clipdrop](https://openaitools.app/tool/clipdrop) | 456,718 | -16% | Freemium, Contact for Pricing | AI photo editing suite for background removal, cleanup, upscaling and image generation | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/clipdrop.md) |

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Source: https://openaitools.app/compare/labfig-vs-shutterstock-com

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